Reproduction or imitation of oil-paintings and other pictures.



ROBERT SAUBER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

REPRODUCTION OR IIVIITATION OF OIL-PAINTINGS AND OTHER PICTURES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT SAUBER, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at 15 Knightsbridge, London, l/V., England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with the Reproduction or Imitation of Oil-Paintings andother Pictures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of a matrix for use in the reproduction or imitation of oil paintings, pastels and other pictures by means of the process in which a color or other print is embossed with relief markings by the aid of a die obtained from a matrix in which the markings desired to be reproduced or imitated are effected by means of a composition applied to a copy of the picture by a brush or otherwise and allowed to dry before the negative die is formed therefrom.

The main object of the invention is to produce a matrix which will permit of obtaining a die in which all the relief and depression marks, the impasto, expression of touch, and other characteristics of the surface of an original painting or picture are reproduced in a more perfect manner than has hitherto been possible, and this object is attained according to the present invention by producing the matrix by means of two or more paints of different color, preferably black and white, in contradistinction to the one single paint'hitherto employed.

According to the present invention use is made of a suitable support, on which the outlines of the picture to be reproduced are marked or the picture is first reproduced in any suitable manner. On this support the matrix is formed by painting or working thereon in substantially the same manner as was done by the artist who produced the original painting, or picture, by painting and repainting whereby various layers of paint with their particular touches are superposed on one another, with the only difference that the exact colors employed in the original picture are not necessarily used, the painting being however effected in at least two different colors preferably in black and white, so as not to lose the drawing during the preparation of the matrix. By forming the matrix in this way the artist producing the matrix can always be sure in contradistinction to the case in which one single color is usedthat he is reproducing- Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed October 24, 1914. Serial-N0. 868,479.

or has reproduced on the matrix all the characteristics of the surface of the picture.

In carrying the invention into effect, use is made of a canvas, Wooden panel, metal or glass plate or any other suitable support capable of reproducing a similar surface effect to that of the painting, onwhich sup port the outlines of the various figures of the picture are marked in any suitable way, as has already been proposed. The various relief and depression marks of the original picture are then painted thereon by an artist, by means of two or more paints of different color preferably black and white, care being taken that all the characteristics of the original picture are reproduced by the artist. After the painting has been completed and the paint allowed to sufficiently dry, one or more coats of Varnish are applied thereto, firstly to imitate in the matrix and thus in the finished reproduction the effect produced by the original painting when its surface has been altered or made smoother by the addition of a coat or coats of varnish as is the general practice, especially with old pictures which are frequently revarnished for protective purposes, and secondly to prevent the paint of the matrix from adhering to the die which is to be formed therefrom, and therefore insure the obtaining of a die corresponding exactly to the paint matrix. The matrix thus finished is then used for the preparation of an electro or other die or block in any well known manner, and such block is then employed for the purpose of embossing a color or other print, which is a reproduction of the original picture. The printmay be embossed either from the front or from the back, or use may be made of two blocks for simultaneously embossing the print from the front and back.

The reproduction of the original picture on the support on which the matrix is formed may be effected by photographic means, the surface of the support being for that purpose rendered sensitive to light.

According to a modification a photographic print may be attached to a canvas, and the latter pressed on to the photographic print for the purpose of producing thereon the canvas markings.

According to a further modification use may be made of a support consisting of a thin sheet of lead, tin, or other suitable metal pressed on to canvas or other texture for the purpose of reproducing on the sheet of lead or the like, the markings of the canvas or other texture, before the matrix is formed on such support. By this means the effect of one or more coatings of paint which are frequently applied to the canvas before painting the original painting thereon, is imparted to the reproduced picture.

The coat or coats of varnish applied to the matrix may be replaced by a more or less thin film of gelatin or like material.

The color or other print to be embossed may be varnished previous to the embossing operation as is well known.

In order to obtain a surface which is not required to look quite freshly varnished, but have a sli htly duller appearance, as is the case with pictures which are not kept under glass, fine powder of pumice stone, sand or other finely powdered substance is blown on to the paint-matrix, before the same is dried. If the paint-matrix is dried, then a thin layer of varnish or other adhesive substance is applied thereto before the powdered substance is blown on to it, in order to cause the latter to adhere to the matrix. Instead of blowing such fine powdered substance on to the matrix, the same may be blown on to the electro or casting formed from the paint-matrix, for instance by means of a fine sand blast.

In the case of water-color and body-color drawings, the same are reproduced by means of a matrix formed on a paper or prepared surface having the same grain or texture as the original picture, on which the touches of the body-color are reproduced.

The invention may also be applied to the production of matrices showing the texture of trees, foliage, grass, stones, bricks, etc., and used for the preparation of dies by which a print may be embossed so as to imitate these various textures.

The invention may also be applied to the preparation of matrices in which the original pictures are reproduced on a different scale.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The herein described process for the production of a matrix for forming an embossing die for the reproduction and imitation of oil paintings and other pictures, consisting in producing outlines of the picture on a suitable surface, and then applying to the same one or more colors to produce the relief and depression marks of the original figure.

2. The herein described process for the production of a matrix for forming an embossing die for the reproduction and imitation of oil paintings and other pictures, consisting in producing the outlines of the picture on a suitable surface, and then producing on the same the relief and depression marks of the original picture in white and black colors.

3. The herein described process for the production of a matrix for forming an embossing die for the reproduction and imitation of oil paintings and other pictures, consisting in producing the outlines of a picture on a surface having fabric markings, and then. applying to the same black and white colors to produce the relief and depression marks of the original picture.

4;. A process for the production of a ma trix for forming an embossing die for the reproduction and imitation of oil paintings, pastels, and other pictures, consisting in forming a matrix by applying several paints of different colors to a support consisting of a thin sheet of easily yieldable metal formed with canvas markings by pressure, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT SAUBER.

Witnesses:

H. D. JAMIsoN, BERTRAM H. MATTHEWS.

Washington, I). U. 

